Local News

The county’s health director is proposing a 33 percent property tax rate increase to make up for funds his department did not receive from a Medicaid insurance provider and end furlough days for employees.
Director Tim Wright is asking the county’s board of health to increase the tax rate from 30 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to 40 cents, an increase of 33 percent. That increase is expected to generate $150,000 in additional revenue, from about $460,000 to $610,000, a 32.6 percent increase.

Student growth and student-answered surveys will be two new components of evaluating the effectiveness of Anderson County teachers.
A new teacher evaluation system, known as the Professional Growth and Effectiveness System (PGES), places teachers on a “continuum of performance,” from the low level category of “ineffective” to highest level of “exemplary.“

A 57-year-old Lawrenceburg woman is behind bars for allegedly allowing 8 pounds of pot to be mailed to her home in exchange for crack cocaine.
Diana L. Hart of 303 Vail Drive was charged with trafficking marijuana when a postal inspector tracked a large box to her home that was mailed from an address in California.
The post office alerted the Lawrenceburg Police Department, which arrested Hart and Lexington resident Tenisha Y. Higgins on Friday afternoon, according to police. Both are charged with trafficking marijuana, over 5 pounds, a Class C felony.

All she had to do was call the police.
That’s what officers are saying after a vehicle driven by an 18-year-old Anderson County High School student hit a patch of ice, veered off Hammond Road and destroyed an estimated $500,000 worth of telephone equipment last Wednesday morning.
Instead, Johnna M. Lohman of 1070 Buckley Lane apparently sped off, triggering a police search for the car that resulted in numerous criminal charges against her and her grandfather, Louis A. Colpitts, 73, of the same address.

Several hundred residents in the Ninevah area of Anderson County have been without home phone service since a vehicle accident Wednesday morning.

The vehicle apparently slid off of Hammond Road around 8 a.m., striking several large telephone junction boxes.

Workers at the scene said there are approximately 300 households currently without phone service, including homes on Hammond Road and in the nearby Honeysuckle subdivison. Service was expected to be restored sometime Thursday night.

A Salvisa man who allegedly shot at another vehicle during what is being described as an incident of road rage has been charged with wanton endangerment, a Class D felony.
John Roberts, 47, of 821 Claylick Road allegedly fired a handgun from his vehicle at another driver Feb. 5 on US 127 South near Nevins Station, a location near the Anderson-Mercer county line, according to Det. Bryan Taylor of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

When a high school senior drops out two or three months before graduation, it’s heartbreaking, according to Anderson County High School Principal Ronnie Fields.
With new state legislation raising the dropout age from 16 to 18, that will change.
For the better, according to Fields.

The Anderson County Clerk’s office will be closed Friday, March 29 in recognition of Good Friday.
Denny said the office will reopen April 1, and suggested those who need to pay vehicle taxes and renew registrations do so by March 28 to avoid having those items expire.
The clerk’s office is normally open Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Tuesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

A baby bracelet worn home by a newborn when leaving the hospital 50 years ago.
Dog tags from the Korean War.
Those items and many more were returned to their rightful owners following the arrest of two Pumphouse Road residents charged with stealing them.
Kris Mitchell and Tami Amburgey were arrested on numerous burglary charges following a March 14 traffic stop, according to a news release from the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office.

The annual community Easter egg hunt, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary Unit 34 and the city of Lawrenceburg, has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m. at the American Legion fairgrounds.
More than 8,000 eggs will be filled with candy and some prize eggs. Five different age groups will be participating, ages 1-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 and there will be an area for special needs children.
Free pictures with Mr. and Mrs. Bunny will be available for all children. Refreshments will also be provided.